Events – MCVL Realty – McClellanville and Awendaw, SC Real Estate Specialists

McClellanville Wisteria Parade

Daniel Bates — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:34:17 +0000

This Saturday, April 2nd at 10:30 am is the McClellanville Wisteria Parade. This is truly a site to behold if you’ve never attended; golf carts, strollers, floats, hats, horses, bicycles, pets, and little red wagons all loaded to the brim with flowing wisteria blossoms. The event starts at the Presbyterian Church and continues on Pinckney Street to the Town Hall where there will be an inflatable jump castle for the children. This is one of those silly McClellanville events designed for no other reason that to be outside and enjoy each other’s company in the beautiful weather.

This quickly fleeting flower often makes planning for the event ahead of time hard, because the flowers all burst forth at once and then begin wilting within weeks before turning into those odd seed pods. This year the event happens to coincide with the rabies clinic in the parking lot of McClellanville Middle School from 9-12, so get there early with your pets if you’re planning to attend both events. Also this weekend, on Sunday from 1-5pm will be a benefit concert for Savana Whalen with local music at the Don Britt Bandstand at the Town Hall.
I found this poem called “Wisteria-Hysteria” which I just loved.
No fair maid of Algeria,
muchacha from Iberia,
has beauty that’s superior
to flowering wisteria.
Some call her purple, some say mauve,
I fancy her, for she is fauve.
Wisterially, I’m feeling chauv-
inistic for her in her grove.
With blossom purple and imperious
she beckons to me, mauve, mysterious,
and draws me to her, mute but serious,
and wonderful and wild, wisterious.
~By Gershon Hepner

McClellanville Holiday Art Walk

Daniel Bates — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:12:39 +0000

Friday, December 3rd (tonight) from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, December 4th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the business district of Pinckney Street in “downtown” McClellanville will be transformed into a shopper’s paradise as local businesses, artists, and craftsmen showcase their works in the 3rd Annual Village Holiday Art Walk. There will be live music, food, furniture, antiques, collectibles, clothes, paintings, drawings, jewelry, pottery, photography, books, and more all from hard-working, local artists.
The McClellanville Arts Council will be hosting many artists throughout their gallery for the event as will many of the other business fronts including Pinckney Street Kitchen, Another Time, Elizabeth Bronson Studio, Lee Arthur Studio, Sassafras, The Yellow Shop , T.W. Graham Restaurant, and Kingfisher Construction.
I will also be co-hosting an open house of the new Red Rooster Loft vacation rental above the Kingfisher Construction at 824 Pinckney, so please feel free to come up for some wine and cheese or hot cocoa and observe the festivities from the balcony. This is a great opportunity to find some truly unique Christmas gifts, see McClellanville in a different light and catch up with friends and meet new ones as support the well-deserved, local economy.
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Fall Events in McClellanville

Daniel Bates — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:03:04 +0000

Plenty to do on the events calendar over the next couple of weeks in McClellanville as we enter into fall and the chill in the air hopefully fights off the mosquitoes. I’m also particularly proud because I built all of the websites mentioned in this article.
October 26th at 7pm – Candidate Forum
October 30th at 10am- Eggstravaganza
October 30th at 4:30pm – ARA Halloween Carnival
November 6th – Children Clothing Sale
November 6th at 6pm – Village Museum Oyster Roast

Candidate Forum

This Tuesday, October 26th the Cape Romain Environmental Charter School brings education to the forefront with a political forum featuring candidates from the House District 108 and East Cooper seats of the Charleston County School Board. Bring important questions and brush up your knowledge of the issues just one week before the elections.

Eggstravaganza: The Art of Sustainable Living

October 30th from 10 to 6:30, the McClellanville Arts Council presents Eggstravaganza: The Art of Raising Chickens, the first in it’s series of lessons on sustained living. The event will feature the “Tour da Coops” allowing patrons a peak into the backyard coops across McClellanville in a sort of chicken meet and greet. There will be lots to learn and raffles and door prizes as well.

ARA Halloween Carnival

Follow up your “egg-siting” afternoon (I couldn’t help it) with a trip to Archibald Rutledge Academy’s annual Halloween Carnival from 4:30 to 7 featuring hot dogs, baked goods, costume contest, pumpkin carving contest, Hay Rides and fun and games for all ages! Pumpkin contest entrees need to be brought by 4:30 to participate.

Barefoot Daydreams Children Clothing Sale

November 6th at the Methodist Church Annex, Barefoot Daydreams will hold it’s first sale of clothing for children. There will also be professional photography by Rebecca Porter Photography at the Deer Head Oak.

Village Museum Oyster Roast

Last, but certainly not least, on your McClellanville dance card is the Village Museum Oyster Roast. This annual event starts at 6pm under the Town Hall on November 6th and goes into the night. It is free to Village Museum members or just $15 donation for non-members and includes mountains of fresh Bull’s Bay Oysters and heaping kettles of “He Crab Soup”, Seafood Chowder, Fish Stew, and Chile. BYOB and oyster knives and have a great time.

34th Lowcountry Shrimp Festival in McClellanville

Daniel Bates — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:56:17 +0000

It is my honor to announce of 34th Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at the McClellanville Boat Landing. This is the fourth time I’ve had the pleasure to write about the event and like always there is something for everyone; Great Seafood (Duh!), Kabobs, Cold Beverages (for kids and adults), Arts and Crafts, Vendors, Dancing, and Kid’s Corner with Games and Rides. You’ve also got to pick-up a t-shirt to commemorate the date and enter to win some great stuff offered in the silent auctions and door prizes.
As a child, the Shrimp Festival was always a reminder to me that Mother’s Day was coming soon and I’d better find something nice for mom because I wouldn’t get another chance to go to town. When I was off in college it was a chance to go back home and cut loose McClellanville-style. And now it’s a time when my in-laws come visit and brighten my wife’s day. They just love the down-home feel of McClellanville, our perfect climate, and all that the Shrimp Festival has to offer. Last year they got to ride out on one of the shrimp boats during the blessing (while I filmed from across the creek) and had a blast.
It’s sometimes hard to remember that all this fun is for two great causes. First, the event is put on by and benefits Archibald Rutledge Academy. And while some people may think of the blessing as just a small part of the whole days events, it’s truly the most important part. It’s sometimes hard for those of us that aren’t in the shrimping business to remember the struggles of McClellanville’s biggest industry. But by taking a moment to bless the fleet as they start off a new season of hard work and long hours spent away from family to bring us home those tasty crustaceans and try to make a living, we are giving them our prayers and best wishes for a successful and prosperous year. So Just Say No to Imported Shrimp!
Let me know if you want to make a weekend of it and need a place to stay in beautiful McClellanville.
Past Shrimp Festival Articles:
31st Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
32nd Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
33rd Lowcountry Shrimp Festival

Village Holiday Art Walk 2009

Daniel Bates — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:02:45 +0000

Looking for the 2010 McClellanville Holiday Art Walk?
Quick Post here: Village Artists and Craftsmen Group would like to welcome you to the Village Holiday Art Walk
Friday, December 4 (Tonight) from 5 p.m. -8 pm
Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. – 5 pm
Enjoy holiday shopping, dining and visiting artist’s studios along Pinckney Street in the Historic District of McClellanville. Find original reasonably priced treasures including antiques, collectables, paintings, drawings, woodcut prints, jewelry, pottery, photography, books by local authors, handmade baby fashions, sculpture and much more…Participating Shops, Restaurants , Artists and other Venues
Aaron Baldwin Studio
Another Time – Vintage Kitchen Ware
Cassena Studios: John McWilliams and Nancy Marshall
Elizabeth Bronson Studio
Grillmaster Barbecue
Lee Arthur Studio
McClellanville Art Center
Pinckney Street Kitchen with Sarah Scott and Sheila McClellan
Pluff Mud
Sassafras – A Creative Department Store
The Yellow Shop – Art and Antiques
Thornhill Farm- Our Local Foods and Adaptive Gardens
T.W. Graham Seafood Restaurant
Village Museum
And many more McClellanville Artists & Craftsmen
Directions: from Mt. Pleasant on Hwy 17 North, turn right onto Hwy 45- follow the curve to the LEFT where it becomes Pinckney Street. Keep left and proceed to the Historic District.
“Deerhead Oak” copyright 2009, McWilliams & Marshall

November means Oysters in McClellanville

Daniel Bates — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:29:40 +0000

Looking for 2010 Village Museum Oyster Roast?
I’ll go ahead and say it. I don’t like seafood. Yes, I grew up in McClellanville, “the seafood capital of the world”, but the taste of crabs, clams, shrimp, fish, and oysters has never really been that appealing to me. I try not to open with this point, because most seafood lovers write me off as crazy, but I can’t help my taste buds.
All that aside, I’ve got to say that I love a good oyster roast. It’s such a great excuse to get bundled up, go out and see friends you haven’t seen in a while. There are also, of course, OYSTERS and if you enjoy those slimy boogers (yes, I said it) then you’ve got a lot to look forward to this weekend.
In addition to the Village Museum‘s Annual Oyster Roast, which is always a blast, Thornhill Farms will also be holding “Local Music on the Farm” benefit with oysters. No need to choose, because they’re on different days. The Village Museum Oyster Roast which is held under the Town Hall is Saturday, November 7th at 6pm and also includes great home-made deserts, soups, and chilis (which I usually consume a dozen or so bowls of). It’s free to museum members or $20 donation at the door. BYOB and BYOOK – that’s Bring Your Own Oyster Knives for those that haven’t been to many roasts.

Thornhill Farms event will be Sunday, November 8th from 12-5pm and feature live music, barbercue and oysters. Proceeds go to benefit the Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry and the cost is $25 for adults and $10 for children. All the details are on the images and you can click them to see a bigger picture. If I can kick this nasty cold, I’ll see you there.
For those of you that weren’t “born and raised”, oyster season couldn’t be easier to remember. The rule of thumb is that oysters are only harvested (and therefore consumed fresh) in months with an “R” in them, so starting around SeptembeR and going to ApRil oysters are typically harvested. Small batches of oysters can be cooked on a baking sheet in the oven or broiler until the pop open. The preferred local method, however, is to wait until the weather gets a little colder for a good excuse to break the cabin fever. Build a rip roarin’ fire (outside) until you’ve got a nice stock pile of coals and then place a sheet of metal (a rusted sheet of tin or slab o’ steel work well) over the coals. Shovel on the oysters and cover with a dampened burlap sack or towel and cook for around 15-20 minutes or until they’ve all popped open. Around here you don’t even have to send out invitations, people just wander from out of the woods with oyster knives in hand.
It doesn’t matter if you harvest them yourself, have them delivered, buy them at a market, or pay a professional as long as you’re getting local Bull’s Bay Oysters and enjoying them with friends, it can’t go wrong.

2009 Hurricane Season Begins…and I need your help

Daniel Bates — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:17:37 +0000

Hurricane season is once again upon us and this year will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo which devastated McClellanville on September 21st (and well into the 22nd) of 1989. Amazingly there was no loss of life within the town, but the path of destruction was the worst left by a hurricane at it’s time and McClellanville was ground zero. Anyone that lived here at the time knows that there are many reasons to not want to relive the agony and loss experienced. However, I’d like to propose that after 20 years we are due for an “I Survived Hurricane Hugo” celebration and remembrance.
I’ll be posting more about Hurricane Hugo and hurricane preparedness later, but to prepare for the coming anniversary I would like to gather pictures of the village after Hugo in order to prepare a slideshow. Fallen trees, muddy floors and streets, damaged homes and boats, volunteers, National Guard, cleanup efforts, whatever you have that will add to the story.
If you have a scanner you can scan and email your photos to me. Otherwise I will be scanning pictures. You can submit them at our office and I will scan them and get them back to you as soon as possible. Be sure to mark them with your information so nothing gets mixed and they are returned to the right place. You can submit individual pictures or packages and I will sort through them and choose the best. Through this effort, we will be preserving these images forever. If we get enough images I will even prepare a slideshow presentation for the town and make CD’s available. All credit will be given to the original photographers, so please feel free to submit your best images.
We have a whole new population in the village that didn’t live through this experience that forever reshaped the way we viewed life. Many have seen scrapbooks from one person or another, but few know the whole story. An event like this can pull us together as a stronger community as we share our past experiences. As the eyes of the nation fall on us again I propose that we present an image fitting the way that we banded together after Hugo to repair the Village.
There is no denying that it was a horrible experience. A decade later, we still used “before Hugo” and “after Hugo” as the major time indicator. I know some suffered enormous financial loss, but I dare say that McClellanville is a better place because of those tragedies because of what we learned about ourselves in the rebuilding process. We learned the generosity of the human race as volunteers poured in to help a small town they had never heard of but saw only glimpses of on the news. FEMA was probably less helpful than their dreadful performance in New Orleans after Katrina, but nobody gave up and begged for a handout. We rebuilt.
If you ask most people you’ll find that the biggest tragedy wasn’t the shrimpboat in their front yard, 6 inches of mud in their house, or even their missing roof…it was that grandma’s quilt was missing or the ruined wedding album. These are the things that we lost that we’ll never get back. I was only 9 at the time of Hugo and couldn’t grasp that at the time (it was a big adventure for me, since there was no school for weeks and weeks and tons of new things to see) but I realize this now.
So dust off your scrap books and share your stories as we remember a part of our history that helped make us the town we are today…Who’s with me?
Update: These picture provided were used to create a gallery in my McClellanville: 20 Years after Hurricane Hugo posts
Shrimpboat picture courtesy of Mike Burton.

McClellanville Mother’s Day Wrap-up

Daniel Bates — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:26:14 +0000

My Mother’s day in McClellanville was spent watching my little one to give mom a well deserved break. We wrapped up the day by going to the Town Hall to the “Mothers Who Love Puppies Benefit Concert” to benefit Helping Hand Animal Rescue & Rehab Therapy to hear Kathy Livingston (the one from Nature Adventures Outfitters) sing. She had a great voice, singing a great mix of kids songs, folk songs, beach songs, and contemporary and all of her record sales go to charity.
Ken Burger had a great article in the Post and Courier about being “Raised by a Hundred Mothers“, a feeling I can definitely relate to having grown up in McClellanville. I’ve written about the it-takes-a-village mentality before, but Burger puts it best with this line, “Looking back, there were truly super women. They worked full time, sang in the choir, volunteered at the school, taught us to dance, held our families together and somehow found time to raise a village full of children.”
The Post and Courier also reported on one of our own this weekend, St. James Santee Episcople Churches minister, Jennie Olbrych. I adore Jennie. She is an amazing woman who is passionate about God’s word and always willing to help members of the community despite not living in McClellanville. You can spot her in the videos on my most recent Shrimp Festival article as she has been responsible for blessing the fleet the past few years…come rain or shine.
Finally, I’d be remiss to not take a moment to acknowledge the two mom’s that make my everyday life possible. My Mom, Susan Bates, lives just around the corner from me. I can literally see her house through the woods (do I get credit for not being a momma’s boy if I told you that I lived away from home for 8 years?). My mom is a strong, confident, and beautiful woman. My wife and I both have a great relationship with her (and my dad) and eat dinner with them almost every week (Thursday’s are Survivor night at the Bates house). She’s also been a Godsend the past two years watching our son while we work and even allowing the occasional date night and I’m so happy he has someone like her to take him out in the garden, tromping in the woods, and crabbing.
My wife, Josie is my rock! We were friends before dating and as a result know each other very well and compliment each others weaknesses. She is an amazing mother with the perfect amount of discipline and love for our son. She keeps me grounded but always supports me a rare thing to find. She works hard and always has a smile on her beautiful face. I definitely couldn’t do all the things I do without the help from these two great women and I often call upon them to review my articles, so my website wouldn’t be the same without them either.
PS – Charleston Painter, Katherine Muschick, wrote a great article about the McClellanville Arts Council’s Youth Art Show, so please check that out and leave a comment on her site. Congratulations to the great local artists as well!

Strawberry Picking at Patriots Farms

Daniel Bates — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:17:08 +0000

Patriots Farms
10970 A N. Hwy 17
843-887-4010
Pre-picked Bucket: $10
U-pick Bucket: $7.50
A few miles north of McClellanville on Highway 17 you’ll find Patriots Farms, or as it is more commonly known, “the strawberry farm”. The strawberries have just ripened and will only be in season for another month or so, so be sure to go get some soon. You may want to give them a call and listen to the answering machine message for their times as it may change depending on the availability of the crop. If you’re picking your own ($7.50 per bucket), I’d recommend the morning while it’s still cool. You can easily fill a bucket in twenty or thirty minutes worth of picking…even with a 2-year-old robbing a few. Or you can pick up a bucket of freshly picked strawberries for just $10. They also have strawberry jams and honey.
Not only is strawberry picking a great summer activity, but they’re of course a tasty treat that can be prepared many ways. They’re great as a snack all by themselves or on cereal or shortbread with whipped cream or baked into a cobbler. I personally love to cut the tops off and lay them on a baking sheet and freeze them. From there you transfer them to zip lock bags and keep them year round. Use them like ice cubes, a cold treat, or blend them up in daiquiris!
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33rd Lowcountry Shrimp Festival

Daniel Bates — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:24:30 +0000

This will be the third year I’ve covered the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival on my blog, so it’s starting to become old hat. This year my wife’s parents came down to enjoy the festivities though, so I’ve included a small portion of the picture that my mother-in-law took while enjoying the festival and the blessing of the fleet.
This was the 33rd year of the annual event, which includes vendors, games, silent auction, live music, dancing, and of course seafood. Overall, it was a great day for kids of all ages, except for a brief shower right in the middle of the blessing of the fleet. The Lowcountry Shrimp Festival is organized by and profits Archibald Rutledge Academy. Both these new websites are courtesy of MCVL.net – Lowcountry Blogging Network – contact me today to get your own website).
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Just before the blessing I escaped across to the other side of Jeremy Creek to film the blessing of the fleet from a different perspective. I’m going to try to incorporate more videos into my posts in the future, but it’s all a learning process.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQjAbG3kliE[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpyYIn9nWJA[/youtube]
Looking for the 2010 Lowcountry Shrimp Festival in McClellanville?